Eskom Meet EV’s – A Massive Operational Arbitrage Opportunity

A couple of weeks back I was musing that Eskom should be at the forefront of using electricity to drive their fleet/s of vehicles.

After all the use-case is compelling: Eskom makes the stuff and should benefit from the lowest price possible to power their fleet.

Applying BA Systems “Measure to Manage” logic to Eskom’s own fleet reveals a staggering financial discrepancy. If Eskom can generate power at R1.30 per kWh (even cheaper if they use ‘Koeberg energy’), continuing to run internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles is effectively “burning money” at a rate nearly 6 times higher than using their own product.

For Eskom, moving to Electric Vehicles (EVs) isn’t just about sustainability – it’s a massive operational arbitrage opportunity.

It would appear that the brains at Eskom were way ahead of me thinking about operational efficiencies at Eskom that could be unlocked by moving to Electric Vehicles as installations of Eskom Branded EV Chargers are happening across the Eastern Cape.

In late 2025  Eskom signed the formal Eskom-BYD Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC), which moved the test EV project from a small internal pilot to a national infrastructure rollout.

The Eskom – BYD MoC outlines the roadmap for 200 to 300 public EV charging stations to be installed by the end of 2026.

The rollout features ultra-fast 1MW “Flash Chargers” (capable of adding 400km in five minutes).

VERY NB: The Access Policy explicitly mandates an “Open Access” model, meaning the stations (from Grid Cars) are not proprietary to BYD and can be used by any EV brand.

Eskom has published its roadmap to electrify its fleet of roughly 13,000 vehicles and is targeting full conversion of the Distribution Division by 2035 and the entire fleet by 2040.

The strategy distinguishes between DC Fast Chargers (60kW) for rapid field use and AC Dual Chargers (22kW) for overnight depot and workplace charging.

Gqeberha / Eastern Cape Rollout Updates

While the initial pilots focused on Gauteng and Mpumalanga, the Eastern Cape has recently seen major movement through the AIDC-EC (Automotive Industry Development Centre Eastern Cape) and Zero Carbon Charge.

A public-private partnership is currently rolling out 29 off-grid charging sites across the Eastern Cape – many of them being installed by local powerhouse Straton Electrical.

Specifically, the Gqeberha Government Garage and local Eskom depots are being prioritized for “V2L” (Vehicle-to-Load) infrastructure. This allows fleet bakkies (like the BYD Shark) to serve as mobile power sources during local outages

The Comparison: BYD Shark 6 EV vs. Toyota Hilux Legend (Diesel)

The BYD Shark 6 (the electric/PHEV bakkie) is the most relevant comparison for a utility fleet like Eskom’s, as it matches the utility of a traditional 4×4 double-cab.

Why it makes “Cents” (The ROI)

1. The Arbitrage Gap

Eskom is in the unique position of being the only fleet operator in South Africa that can “fuel” their vehicles at the wholesale generation cost rather than the retail consumer tariff (which in Gqeberha is hitting R4.50+).

ICE Fleet: Every 1,000 km driven by an Eskom Hilux costs the taxpayer R2,219 in diesel.

EV Fleet: Every 1,000 km driven by an Eskom Shark costs the utility only R384 in internal energy.

2. Maintenance & “Measure to Manage”

The BYD Shark utilizes the “Blade Battery” (Cell-to-Chassis) technology, which significantly reduces the moving parts compared to the complex turbo-diesel engine of a Hilux.

Using the Shelly PM logic at Eskom depots, they could ensure fleet charging happens only during “Off-Peak” hours, further protecting the grid while maintaining a 100% “Full Tank” every morning for field technicians.

3. The V2L (Vehicle-to-Load) “Crisis Playbook” Bonus

The BYD Shark offers 6 kW V2L capability. An Eskom technician in an EV doesn’t just fix a fault; their vehicle can act as a mobile power station to run critical equipment, medical devices, or localized lighting while the grid is down.

The Verdict

Assuming a worst-case generation cost of R1.30, Eskom is currently wasting roughly R183.00 in profit/savings for every 100 km their ICE fleet travels. For a fleet that likely travels millions of kilometers monthly, the transition to EVs would pay for itself in fuel savings alone within roughly 24–30 months, even with the higher initial purchase price of the BYD.

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